Modern vehicles, such as aircraft, automobiles, space craft, satellites, etc., use computer networks to control operation of the vehicle. Similarly, modern industrial control plants, campus buildings, etc. use computer networks for control of operations. For example, sensor data and/or control inputs from an operator are provided to a processing unit for processing. Typically, the components of these networks in modern vehicles and buildings are interconnected via wires. However, wires increase production and maintenance costs associated with the vehicles and buildings. For example, designers must take into consideration space for the wires in designing a vehicle and manufacturers must ensure that the wires are properly connected. In addition, if a component needs to be upgraded or added, new wires may also need to be added or replaced. Furthermore, wires increase the weight of a vehicle which is a consideration for flying vehicles such as aircraft and spacecraft.
Hence, it is desirable to replace the wired networks with wireless networks. Unfortunately, unlike wired networks, where wired lines can protect communication and provide some degree of guaranteed reliability, wireless networks use broadcast medium which can be easily interfered/corrupted by intentional or unintentional sources. Also, the quality of wireless medium can be affected by surrounding environments. For example, wireless networks in indoor environments generally experience multi-path fading, shadowing and some obstacles by humans. Any wireless vehicle network for essential services needs to handle unpredictable and dynamic link quality and reliability. In addition, certain wireless networks, such as in aircraft, must meet certain required levels of reliability.